CEQA Streamlining for Infill Projects (SB 226)

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The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research is pleased to solicit your input on a revised draft of proposed additions to the Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA Guidelines”).  This proposal reflects the direction in SB 226 (Simitian, 2011) to prepare additions to the CEQA Guidelines setting forth a streamlined review process for infill projects.  This proposal also contains the performance standards that will be used to determine an infill project’s eligibility for that streamlined review.

OPR released a preliminary draft of the proposal in January for a thirty day public review period.  To solicit feedback on the proposal, OPR also conducted three public workshops in Sacramento, Fresno and Los Angeles, participated in several conferences and expert convening’s, and met with various stakeholders.  By late February, over fifty individuals, organizations, and local and regional governments submitted written comments.  (Prior drafts of the proposal, as well as written comments on those drafts, are provided in the Resources section below.)

OPR has updated the proposal in response to that public input and invites additional comment on its revisions.  The key documents in this revised package include:

A Summary of Changes and Responses to Comments (May 1, 2012)
Revised Proposed New Section 15183.3 (Streamlining for Infill Projects) (May 1, 2012)
Revised Proposed New Appendix M (Performance Standards) (May 1, 2012)
Revised Proposed New Appendix N (Infill Environmental Checklist Form) (May 1, 2012)

To assist the review of the proposal package, OPR has also prepared a Flow Chart and Presentation to illustrate the review process and application of performance standards for infill projects.  Please note, however, that these documents are not proposed to be included in the regulatory text of the CEQA Guidelines.

We request your written comments on the revised proposal no later than June 1, 2012.  We encourage electronic submission of your comments, which may be e-mailed to CEQA.Guidelines@ceres.ca.gov.  Comments may also be mailed or hand delivered to:

CEQA Guidelines Update
c/o Christopher Calfee
1400 Tenth Street
Sacramento, CA 95814